Thing #16 Back to loving Google!

Seriously? You want to know which productivity site I would choose? I feel as though if you have read this blog long enough you should already know the answer to this question. Google! I could say it a million times.

As I have said before I use almost everything of Googles. Now I'll admit that maybe not everything they offer is the best of all the opportunities (How dare I!) but I find it easier to use one than 8 different sites. I have my calendar and tasks synced to my phone and I can add deadlines to tasks so with school I know when assignments are due. I can color code everything so I know who has to be where and my husband and I are not mixing up each others work and what importance it plays in my life.

Now about the tools I find helpful. What don't I find helpful? I mean I really love Google! (But not more than my husband and kids) 

Thing #15 Snowflakes

Wikis are cool. I think that there is a vast amount of people that don't know about them let alone know how to use them. It is hard for me to have a site that is edited because I want to know who changed it and when they changed it and I feel as though I have lost the control. For a project that I don't mind giving up some of that control (Good Luck!) I might find some uses for. I also like that I can limit who is able to make those changes as with small groups or classes (I knew I could find control). I however find it hard to not go in and change things just because I can...Go ahead, I dare you to change something on wikipedia.com! 

As a teacher I plan on teaching younger grades so there will not be as much need for a Wiki within the classroom, but I could foresee using it with the parents or fellow educators within the school. I feel that is it another way for people to connect that are not always able to do so in person. Some are just more responsive when they can do it on their own time and easily access.

Thing #14 Blue Satin Sashes

I was immediately drawn to Gliffy.com. I glanced at the other sites to do the task and found that mindmeister.com was also a nice site to use. However easy these sites are easy to use and offer an ultimate amount of uses it is going to take some work to get use to using them. I found that Gliffy.com had an array of items to create over and above this assignment that could come in handy for other projects a teacher might have for themselves or the students. These however seem to be tools that take some work to learn all that is available and make work for a teacher’s advantage and ease.  

I have seen teachers draw mind maps and flowcharts out on Power Point, Word, and on projectors or smart boards, but I think the advantages of using the technology are wonderful. These sites offer more than just giving an example or creating a teaching lesson, but providing the students with a more in depth learning opportunity. A teacher could create and customize a mind map or flowchart specifically for a lesson and have it in the classroom when needed.

Thing #13 Girls in White Dresses

I starting using Googledocs for my online document application for everything when I started school here at APSU. I love it! I'm already on this site for my calendar, so I find that it is easy to use. I don't have to use my email and try by that inbox and have to search through everything. I also don't have to keep track of a portable devise. When I am in class and have to present I just pull on this site and view. 

The only down fall is that I much have online access to view or create anything. The other issue I have been battling and working on is that when I type a document on Googledocs it does not keep the document in the format that I need. This may be happening because I use my Ipad to create and then open in Word on a Dell computer. ​​​

This is my first time using ZOHO writer. I figured since I'm creating the document and I had no idea what to type what better way to create the blog post. I like the way the layout of the tab bars. They seem a little more user friendly than Google. 

While this site is easy to use and easy to access. Old habits are hard to break. I just don't see me using this as much because I already have a site that I use. I will however keep this for the day Google crashes....yea, like that will ever happen!